The "Stylist" | Book I in a Series of Mistaken Identities

WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE

Melissa

Last night was incredible, it was the first time Charlie and I let our worlds collide. Brenda couldn't stop gushing about how hot Charlie was let alone how hot he was looking after Archie. I'll admit, he'd make an incredible father, and the more I see him with Archie the more the idea of having a kid with him starts to creep in. I've never been opposed to having children, but somehow, it's never really been on my radar. Even with Levi we never really talked about it. How could we, we were never in the same space for longer than two days. I wasn't about to leave my job to have a baby with a man who wasn't around. Charlie is around for Archie and he's not even his son. He's already made adjustments and sacrifices for him to fit him into his life.

William was stripped of his legal rights over Archie, and since Deborah's sister refused to take him in, Archie's lawyers started the adoption process this morning. With the amount of money Charlie is throwing at this little hiccup I'm sure it'll be sorted out in no time, and I'm keeping my nose out of it.

Laurie took Archie home last night and I wanted to take the opportunity of having some alone time with Charlie to talk to him about an idea I've had. Today we'll find out which of us will land the property in Harlem, but this most likely won't be the only property we compete over if my father is planning on extending his reach to the east coast. To be quite honest I don't want to compete with Charlie, if we're together it means one of us will always lose, and I don't want to win if it means he loses. My father intends on retiring in three years, and if I don't take over, he'll pass leadership to the next partner in line. Honestly, I almost want Charlie to get Harlem, if we land it it'll be harder to cut myself out of Martin Enterprises.

As I get dressed in my walk in, I start having doubts about what I want to do, again. I quit working for my father for a variety of reasons, but if I had to choose what made me the happiest, it would be somehow related to fashion, and if kids are starting to creep into my thoughts, then I can't work 80-hour weeks. Not only is it not satisfying but if I'm going to be a parent, then I don't want to be raising my hypothetical children the way my parents did, by hiring full-time help because they were too busy or just couldn't be bothered.

I look at my stomach in the full-length mirror and imagine what I would look like pregnant. My abs would be blown to hell, and my breasts would most likely sag afterwards. They say a woman going through pregnancy puts the body through the same trauma as a severe car accident, just prolonged over nine months. Well that just sounds terrifying if you ask me, any woman who's had a baby needs a fucking medal, a fist bump, a million dollars and a personal trainer for prolonging our species in this planet.

I sigh and keep getting dressed until Charlie strolls in wearing nothing but a towel. He looks dangerous right now, sometimes he has the resting face of a predator on the hunt, and it does questionable things to my insides. He can't seem to hold it very long, the moment he sees me looking his way he smirks.

Charlie wraps his arms around me from behind and looks me over in the mirror. I don't seem to mind so much when his wet hair drips onto my clothes.

I smile when he plants a kiss on my necks, "I like how long your hair is getting."

"I've noticed, mostly when you grab fistfuls of it to stuff my face harder into your pussy while I'm going down on you," he mumbles against my skin, and I feel myself blushing, "it's hot, I'm growing it out."

"Sounds like a plan," is all I manage to string together.

This man is literally turning my brain into a useless blob of incoherent goop. I turn around in his arms and Charlie dives straight in for a kiss.

My hands explore his rock hard chest on his own and his hands find their way under my blouse, "Okay," I wriggle myself out of his arms, "that far enough hot stuff. I need to get away from you before I end up naked again."

Charlie checks his watch and grumbles in displeasure, "Fair enough." He just stands there for a moment watching me, and smiles.

That's a something smile, "What?"

"Nothing," he shrugs before walking off to his hanging suit bag and unzipping it reveal the satin navy suit inside. It looks awful on the hanger, but the moment Charlie puts it on it will look like a work of art.

"Liar," I say walking past him while copping a feel of his muscular ass.

For whatever reason I choose not to tell him my idea. Good thing he seems to have forgotten about my wanting to tell him something.

"Wait, you said you had a proposition for me," Charlie shouts out of the walk in as I'm about to leave. Curse him for being so wonderful.

"I'll tell you later," I leave quickly for the kitchen before I get wrangled back into Charlie's dangerous vicinity. Brenda wriggles her brows at me as she slides a cup of coffee my way, "Thanks, I need this."

"Bitch please, you just woke up with the hottest piece of ass in this whole city, too tired from all the amazing sex boo freaking hoo, you'll find zero sympathy from me sunshine," she mumbles into her mug. Brenda leans in closer across the kitchen island and lowers her voice, "so when are you making me an auntie, because your skin with Charlie's eyes would just be pure magic, and let's face it, neither of us are getting any younger."

"Actually, that's something I want to talk about later," Brenda undoubtedly goes to squeal like a high-school teenager, "in private you wacko, keep it down."

"Excuse me, but I know exactly how much you dished out for soundproofing here, and it's thanks to that I didn't hear a fucking thing last night, so money well spent. That being said, I'll be home early, and I'll have dinner and beer ready."

I shake my head, "Man, I should have married you years ago, it's a shame I can't stand fish."

Brenda laughs, "Yeah, ditto."

I went into my office that day thinking about Charlie and babies instead of focusing on the task at hand, which is kicking his magnificent ass all over Harlem. He's doing it again, the wrecking ball thing, and I'm letting it happen, again, and to be quite honest, I think I want him to.